A Taiwanese research group accused LG Electronics Inc, the world’s third-largest mobile-phone maker, of infringing on 22 US patents on mobile phones, air conditioners, Blu-ray disc players and LCD televisions.
Hsinchu-based Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI, 工研院), which is supervised by the nation’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, filed four lawsuits against LG Electronics. The complaints were submitted on Nov. 26 in federal court in Tyler, Texas.
ITRI, which was founded in 1973 “to strengthen the technological competitiveness of Taiwan” through research and development of new companies, claims LG Electronics is infringing on patents, including 15 related to LCD televisions and two for mobile phones. Seoul-based LG is the second-biggest TV maker.
Unless LG Electronics is barred from using the inventions, ITRI “will suffer additional irreparable harm for which there is no adequate remedy at law and impairment of the value of its patent rights,” the Taiwanese institute said in each of the complaints.
The institute is also seeking compensation for the unauthorized use of its technology.
LG Electronics, together with Nokia Oyj and chipmakers including STMicroelectronics NV, was also sued by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for allegedly infringing its patents.
Caltech, in a complaint filed on Nov. 24 in federal court in Los Angeles, lists nine patents pertaining to camera technology that it says LG Electronics and Nokia phones, as well as phones made by Seoul-based Pantech Co, infringe. The research university, based in Pasadena, California, seeks unspecified damages for willful infringement.
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